Step or running-board.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. MORSE, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO PARISH & BIN GHAM COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

srnr or. RUNNING-BOARD.

Application filed January 22, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MORSE, a resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steps or Running-Boards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention relates to steps or running boards, and has special reference to such steps or boards as are generally used on the sides of automobiles.

Heretofore, in the use of metallic steps or running boards they generally have been made of several parts composed of an open frame which was filled up with a lattice work construction formed of straps or strips generally set in a vertical line and connected together and to said frame, so that said frame and lattice work wereliable to become separated, as well as the parts thereof through injury or the constant vibration incident thereto, and such lattice work was liable to become filled with dirt, etc. which would render the same hard to clean, etc.

The object of my invention is to overcome these objections and provide a metallic step or running board which will be cheap, sim ple and eflicient in its construction, will be light in weight, strong and durable, and will be easily and quickly manufactured, as well as one which can be readily and conven iently set in place, will not accumulate dirt, etc. and will therefore be easy to keep clean.

My invention consists, generally stated, in the novel arrangement, construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more specifically set forth and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to construct and use my improved step or running board, 1 will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawing, in which V Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank for forming my improved step or running board. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my improved step or running board. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. 4 is a crosssection on the line 44 Fig. 2.

Like symbols of reference herein indicate like parts in each of the figures of the draw- As illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, a

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0a. 26, 1909.

Serial No. 412,085.

represents a sheet metal plate cut to the size and shape required, and this plate is adapted to be placed within and between suitable dies of a press and in a cold state and pressed or stamped at one operation to form the complete and finished step or running board 1, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, such plate having its straight side edges b and its straight end edges 0 cut out at their connecting or meeting ends to form the triangular shaped corners d within the said plate for the disconnected or separated flanges hereinafter described. This plate a when placed within the dies is bent up on the dotted lines 6 and f to form the hollow shaped step or running board 1, as shown in Fig. 2 having the top 2 formed from the body 9 of the plate a, flanges or sides 3 formed from the side portions h on said plate and flanges or ends 4 formed from the end portions 2' on said plate, and the ends of the said flanges or ends 4 will be inclosed within the flanges or sides 3 of the step or running board 1 so formed, with the end faces of said ends in close proximity to said sides by reason of the inwardly cut triangular shaped corners (Z on said plate a. After the step or running board 1 has been thus formed to shape the holes 5 are punched or drilled through the top 2 of the same, and such holes are preferably of diamond shape and staggered, While they extend substantially throughout said top with the exception of the portions 6 at the ends of said top and the portions 7 within the same. The step or running board 1 is now ready to be attached in place and in case of its use on the ordinary approved form of an au tomobile, the step hangers or brackets extending from the frame thereof can be secured to the step or running board 1 in any suitable manner through the solid portions 7 or through the side flanges 3 thereof in any suitable manner, as desired, and the end flanges 4 thereof can be secured in any suitable manner to the front and rear wheel fenders, as desired. It will thus be seen that my improved step or running board can be used in connect-ion with different forms of step brackets or hangers and for other purposes and uses, as well as for steps or running boards on vehicles other than automobiles, while various modifications and changes in the design and shape of the step when 1 stamped from a plate of sheet metal into an inverted trough-shaped form With openings .in the body of the same and having its cor:

ners cut away to form side and end flanges thereon, said end flanges being inolosed Within the said side flanges when folded into position.

In testimony whereof, I the said GEoRGia W. MoRsE, have hereunto set my hand.

' GEORGE W. MORSE.

Witnesses: 7

FRANK. H. MORSE,

H. H. FISHER. 

